A great day for the ladies and fillies....

IN SUNDAY'S CARDINAL COUPLE:
-Greta and Oriana riding well
-ZENYATTA survives a close one
-Fern Creek softball keeps winning
-The Reds get the plug pulled
-WXVW...some fond memories
-Your Sunday sermon



We did a feature article on Greta Kuntzweiler a while back. Looks like she is rounding
back into form as a 'can't be ignored' jockey.

Yesterday at Ellis Park she rode two winners and now has 5 wins at the track...good for 8th place in the jockey standings. BOONDOCK ROMEO paid $14.40 to win and GRAN LIONESS $9.40. Kuntzweiler has been in the money 14 times in 53 starts at the Henderson, KY track and won $92,776 so far in prize money.

Oriana Rossi has been the surprise jockey of the meet so far,with 13 wins in 87 starts. She's hit the board 36 times during the Ellis meet and totaled $216,640 for the owners and trainers. Those of us who followed her progress during the Churchill Spring Meet aren't shocked by her impressive totals. Veteran rider Corey Lanerie leads the jockey colony at Ellis with 17 wins. Lanerie and Rossi have seven mounts on Sunday's card at Ellis and Kuntzweiler will be on five starters.

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ZENYATTA won her 18th straight race at Del Mar in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes yesterday...but she had to work for it. RINTERVAL, with Rafael Bejarano in the saddle, took the early lead and prevailed to mid stretch before ZENYATTA roared out of last place and took the lead. RINERVAL refused to quit, though and ZENYATTA could only hit the finish line a neck in front of RINERVAL. Winning jockey Mike Smith wasn't worried though and told television interviewers that he timed the ride perfectly...because ZENYATTA tends to be a bit of a showboat when she gets to the lead and sometimes eases up a bit.

CARDINAL COUPLE sponsor and PANERA BREAD managing partner Archie Karel was in attendance for the race and promises some great pictures for us here at the site when he returns from California. We did see him on TV applauding ZENYATTA...nice seats in the Director's Box directly across from the finish line and winner's circle. A true Cardinal fan, Karel was in a red shirt Saturday.

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Fern Creek 16U girls softball won both games yesterday in the World Series at Varina, VA. yesterday. The Creekers used a 4 run 5th inning to break away from a 3-3 tie against Lodi, CA. and win 7-3. (Didn't Creedence Clearwater Revival write a song about Lodi?) In the second game, Fern Creek fell behind early 2-0 to N. Olympic, WA. but rallied for four runs in the top of the sixth and an insurance run in the seventh to get the win 5-2.

Fern Creek faces host Varina, VA. today in the final game of pool play.

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Local Cincinnati Reds baseball radio fans have gone from feast to famine since the Reds broadcasts are no longer aired locally. Two stations, WQKC 1450-AM and WLCL 93.9-FM have gone off the air. Both were owned by Cumulus Media Inc. Reminds me of the days when we used to have to listen to Reds broadcasts on WMPI 103.5-FM out of Scottsburg, IN. Reds broadcasts can still be heard on WLW 700-AM in Cincinnati until another local affiliate can be found. Let's hope and pray CARDS RADIO 790-AM doesn't take the broadcasts over.

I have fond memories of 1450. Back in the day, they went under the call letters of WXVW and Charlie Jenkins was "Mr. Everything" when it came to sports on the Jeffersonville, IN station. He also gave a young, aspiring college wannabe broadcaster a break into the business and he kept close tabs on the young roustabout, created an "on-air" name for him and gave him 3 steady years of part-time employment before he graduated and went to serve his nation. Two things learned from the experience...dead air is not a good thing and there are certain words that you can't say while on the air.

Few people know that Jenkins was a finalist for the Cincinnati Reds broadcasting job to replace Al Michaels back in 1974. Instead, they hired some guy named Marty Brennaman. Last I heard, Charlie was working for Clear Channel Communicatons in Louisville in sales.

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Now, for the sermon part of today's column:

Women's sports at UofL deserve more air-time. Sure, women's basketball gets broadcasted and Kelch and Johnson do a wonderful job with the games. Hopefully Kelch will come back and do them again for the upcoming season...he's now a Cincinnati Reds broadcaster.

How about volleyball, softball and field hockey, though? All are nationally recognized programs and have big fan support. The University of Lousville has a groundbreaking opportunity here to lead the way in women's sports and get these games on the air. UofL has CARDS RADIO (although owned by Clear Channel)...how hard would it be to get away from the syndicated stuff at night and on the weekends and get some play by play coverage of these other deserving sports? I know, it's a money thing and an Arbitron Ratings game...but if the AFTERNOON UNDERDOGS can beat out Terry Meiners (so I've heard) in the afternoon drive time spot...maybe live broadcasts of volleyball or softball would fare well, too.

I'm ready even to dust off the golden pipes here and put back on the headset...OK, bad idea...but the concept of broadcasting the local University's women's sports an idea that has merit, local appeal and needs to be explored. Make it so. The folks down on the Belknap Campus refer to Louisville as the "best college sports town in America." This is a logical next step.

Sermon ended, go in peace and be nice to your family and friends today.

2009-10 Best of the Big East in Women's Sports

The Big East Conference offers 13

different women's' sports for the

member schools to participate in.

So, who was the best overall school

in 2009-10?

CARDINAL COUPLE came up with a
highly unscientific but pretty accurate
and comprehensive scoring system to
rate and rank how the schools did.
Our scoring system assigned point
values for several different things
accomplished for the teams.

1) We assigned a point value of two points for winning the conference championship or regular season title. One point for second place. In some cases, 1/2 point was assigned if there was a tie for first or second. Keep in mind that some sports did not have a regular season schedule or a championship tournament.

2) The 13 sports evaluated were: Basketball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Golf, Lacrosse, Rowing, Softball, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Track (Indoor and Outdoor) and Volleyball.

3) 51 total points were available.

The results:

1) NOTRE DAME 14 points
The Irish got points for Softball (1-1 /2), Lacrosse (1/2), Rowing (2), Tennis (2), Soccer (4), Volleyball (2) and Swimming (2).

2) LOUISVILLE 7 points
The Cards scored in Volleyball (2), Track (2), Golf (2) and Softball (1). LOUISVILLE wins the tiebreaker with CONNECTICUT due to more categories scored in.

3) CONNECTICUT 7 points
UConn was awarded points in Basketball (4), and Field Hockey (3).

4) SYRACUSE 5 1/2 points
The Orange succeeded in Field Hockey (3), Softball (2) and Lacrosse (1/2).

5) GEORGETOWN 4 1/2 points
Hoyas tally in Lacrosse (4 ) and Basketball (1/2).

6) VILLANOVA 4 points
The Wildcats hit the board in Indoor Track (2) and Cross Country (2).

7) MARQUETTE 2 points
The Golden Eagles score with Soccer (2).

The rest:

CINCINNATI (1- 1/2), DEPAUL (1- 1/2), WVU (1- 1/2), RUTGERS (1), ST. JOHN (1) and PITT (1/2).

SETON HALL, PROVIDENCE and SOUTH FLORIDA were scoreless.

Some other awards we think are deserving:

*********Best Overall Performance by a team: UConn for their sweep of BIG EAST women's basketball conference and tournament and winning the NCAA national championship.

*********Biggest Underdog Award: Syracuse, for winning the Big East Softball Tournament as a #5 seed.

*********Surprising Stat: Rutgers with only 1 point out of the 51. And, it didn't come in basketball either...they scored with a second place finish in their soccer division.

*********Our top five athletes: Maya Moore and Tina Charles- UConn (Basketball), Jere Summers- UofL (Track and Field), Melissa Roth-UofL (Softball) and Kristi Frilling-Notre Dame (Tennis).

********* Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemna is too easy of a pick here, so let's go with Syracuse softball coach Leigh Ross. She pulled the major upset by winning the Big East tournament. Other candidates....Leonard Yelin (UofL) volleyball and Muffet McGraw (Notre Dame)basketball and Gina Procaccio (Villanova) track & field, cross country.

********* Info you may not have known: WEST VIRGINIA does not have a women's softball team and LOYOLA, MD. competes in the BIG EAST in Lacrosse.

Got a different list or viewpoint? Let us know in the comments section or e-mail us at :

cardinalcouple@insightbb.com

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We featured GRETA KUNTZWEILLER several days ago in an article. Congratulations go out to her for winning her first race since returing to being a jockey. Greta piloted DREAM DATE DIVA to a victory in the 4th race at Ellis Park Sunday in a $13,500 claiming race for fillies and mares 3 years old and up. They covered 5 1/2 furlongs in sloppy conditions in 1:06.27. DREAM DATE DIVA paid $15.20 to win as a 7-1 longshot. Kuntzweiller has also had several 2nd and 3rd place finishes at the Henderson, KY. track so far in the summer meet.

Keep on keeping on, Greta!

For Greta...a post parade

(Excerpts of this piece were taken from Marty McGee's article on Greta Kuntzweiler
in the June 26, 2010 DAILY RACING FORM)

Greta Kuntzweiler will ride in three races at Ellis Park in Henderson, KY. on Friday. Four years ago, any bookmaker in the nation would have taken big odds that she would never break out of the starting gate again.

At her lowest ebb, Kuntzweiler couldn't believe how badly it had turned. In jail, facing charges of making and dealing crystal meth and broke.

"Honesty, I had no perspective. I wanted to do right, but I wasn't willing to let things go."

Depression, personal problems, reeling from a drug addition and arrest 10 months earlier which was dismissed..thanks to some capable lawmaking...Kuntzweiler had hit the bottom. What had taken the finalist for the Eclipse Award in 2000 to a convicted felon awaiting sentence?

Greta believes it goes back to the 2004 Breeders Cup at Lone Star Park in Texas. A horse she had won on earlier in the year finished a dismal last place...beaten by over 30 lengths. A dinner later that night with her parents brought more bad news. They were divorcing after 35 years of marriage.

Her mother, Ann Kuntzweiler broke the news.

"I wanted to wait until after the race to tell her so as not to distract her from what she had to do. It was crushing. That was a very hard weekend for all of us."

Her parents were her rock. When they split it devastated her.

"I didn't know how to deal with it."

The path that led Greta to crystal meth might well have started with pain pills. She suffered three notable injuries in her career: a broken ankle in 2000, a fractured vertebra in 2002 and a badly separated shoulder in 2003. The final injury was devastating in more than one way. Greta was riding at Ellis Park and a horse she was on was behind another horse clipped heels and fell. Greta's horse went down also. Remi Gumm, the jockey in front of her, suffered a severe spinal cord injury and is paralyzed for life from the chest down.

"I never got to say anything to her about being sorry." Kuntzweiler said. "I never reached out to her. I never resolved it and I feel guilty about it." Gumm, who is a mother of four, lives in Ocala, FL. now.

The guilt and the injury led to abuse of the pain pills prescribed for her. It also changed the way she rode after recovering from the injury. A little less daring. Maybe too quick a return to the track.

Kuntzweiler went to Arkansas and Chicago to ride after the Ellis Park meet but the assignments
started to drop off and the wins were few and far between. She was getting the 20-1 shots, the "no chance" horses and it furthered her depression. About that time, she also began seeing a boyfriend , an exercise rider and man with several drug convictions. Pain pills turned into cooking and distributing meth.

"I was in the back yard...raking leaves when they raided the house we we renting. They got him first, I had no idea...then they came outside and got me."

The road back has been frustrating for Greta but she works hard every day to rebuild her life. She just wants to prove she is worthy of being granted another chance. She knows she has hurt herself and others. Squandered the gifts few ever receive. No more excuses. She knows she will always be a recovering addict who can never succumb to temptation again.

Little steps. A new boyfriend, clean and supportive. A sponsor and regular meetings in a 12 step recovery program. Getting back into the saddle working horses in the morning, hoping for afternoon race rides and evenings filled with practicing martial arts and working with a personal trainer. She feels stronger at 34 than she did at 24. Several mounts at Churchill Downs when she was granted her racing license renewal. A new agent, dedicated to getting her rides.

Greta Kuntzweiler will ride today at Ellis Park. A 30-1 shot in the first race, a 20-1 shot in the second race and a 15-1 in the eighth race.

Small odds when you consider the odds she beat just getting back in the saddle.